Contrary to popular belief, healthy food is not restricted to carrots and cardboard-tasting crackers. We have come a long way in the past few decades to banish the stereotype that food that’s good for you tastes bad, and these days there are plenty of Cape Town restaurants that create dishes that are both healthy and delicious.
Many Cape Town restaurants are devoted to providing meals that are not only healthy and fresh, but that also utilise locally sourced ingredients and that aim to accommodate those with food allergies or dietary constraints, such as lactose and nut intolerances.
With an extensive menu that includes vegetarian and vegan options, Addis in the Cape is a fantastic place to share a memorable, yet healthy meal. Ethiopian cuisine is famous for its rich aromas and generous use of herbs and spices; though, it’s definitely not for the faint at heart. Addis’s flavourful stews are served in a pancake-like sourdough base called Injera, which is gluten-free, fat-free and which is meant to be shared in a warm and communal manner. All the food on the menu is Halaal-friendly.
Addis is situated on 41 Church Street | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 5722
Dear Me is a gourmet brasserie in the Cape Town city centre that caters for vegetarians, vegans and people with any type of food intolerance. The kitchen team is passionate about fresh, seasonal produce prepared in a natural way, and aims to ensure the cuisine is still dished up with the maximum preservation of nutrients. Suppliers are handpicked, and usually share in Dear Me’s vision and commitment to create and maintain sustainable and ethical food production practices.
Dear Me is situated on 165 Long Market Street | Cape Town | +27(0)21 422 4920
Myog
Keen for something nice and guilt-free (without the extra calories)? The Myog frozen yoghurt store on Kloof Street dishes up delicious frozen yoghurt that is 98% fat-free. With a vibrant and Chic interior, the store’s décor is as fresh as its locally-sourced ingredients. Not to mention, the delicious dessert is high in protein and calcium, and has both live and probiotic cultures.
Myog is situated on 103 Kloof Street | Cape Town |
Healthy salads and vegetarian dishes abound at this Middle Eastern-inspired deli. The Cape Town city centre eatery offers an extensive menu that will even satisfy the cravings of the carnivorously inclined. Think falafel balls, dolmades, Lebanese pastries and leek and cheese borekas with stuffed cabbage rolls. All of the food is fresh and prepared daily on the premises by the cooks. They also cater for individuals with basic food allergies and intolerances, such as lactose intolerance and Gluten intolerance. You can also purchase some goods to take back home for a nice respite from the usual supermarket ready-to-eat alternatives.
Sababa Kitchen and Deli is situated on 231 Bree Street | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 21 424 7480
The food produced at this Woodstock eatery is contemporary and fresh, and as much as possible, is made only from seasonal and local produce. The dishes are predominantly Mediterranean and Oriental in flavour, but they also flaunt a modern South African twist. The Kitchen is particularly well-known for its inventive salads – there are 20 to choose from on any given day – such as the lentil, black rice and coriander salad. Thus, people with food intolerances are sure to find something to suit their diet.
The Kitchen is situated on 111 Sir Lowry Road | Woodstock | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 21 462 2201
This fresh food café in the heart of Cape Town offers healthy and nutritious meals made with exclusively seasonal ingredients. The informal, relaxed culinary hotspot prepares raw, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes, as well as freshly-squeezed juices, herbal teas and organic coffees. Crush prides itself on its support for local farmers, sustainable agriculture and environmentally-friendly products, and it aims to provide the health conscience community with quality fare at affordable prices.
Crush is situated on Shop no. 8 | St. George’s Mall | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 21 422 55 33
Sheff’s is a small and vibrant restaurant situated in the mid-section of the Mother City’s CBD. With a healthy selection of dishes that caters for both vegans and vegetarians, the restaurant also prides itself on its ability to conjure up culinary concoctions that keeps food as close to its natural state as possible, such as lentil burgers, green salads and freshly squeezed juices. They can cater for any food intolerances or allergy – just ask the chef and he will adjust the dish accordingly. All the ingredients they use are high in fibre and complex carbohydrates, laying the framework for an energy-filled day.
Sheff’s is situated on 4A Buiten Street | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 73 273 5104
The WellCafé (situated in most Wellness Warehouse stores) offers smoothies, sandwiches, salads and other healthy snacks. The café also caters for a wide range of food intolerances in its menu selection, such as wheat and dairy intolerances. Furthermore, if you feel like taking some of these delicious and nutritious snacks back home, the foodmarket stocks health foods, organic foods and foods that are low in saturated fat, salt and sugar.
The Wellness Warehouse is situated in the Lifestyle Centre | 50 Kloof Street | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 21 487 5440
Kauai is, arguably, the institution most well-recognised by South Africans for convenient food options that are healthy, fresh and nutritious. The food chain uses the most wholesome ingredients, and caters for a wide variety of dietary preferences. Not to mention, the eateries can readily make substitutions for those with food intolerances: If you are lactose intolerant, Kauai’s smoothies can be made with GM free rice milk, and all of the mayonnaise used in their sandwiches and salads is egg-free for vegetarians and vegans. Lastly, all menu offerings are free from trans fats, MSG and tartazine; the breads are wheat-free and the wraps are gluten-free.
Kauai is located in various locations across Cape Town
The sister chain to Kauia, Osumo and its menu offering claims the same health benefits as it’s more well-known brother. They try their best to only use free-range produce, and they will go the extra mile to cater for individuals with lactose, dairy, wheat and sugar intolerances. Also look out for their all-female staff – healthy girl power at its best.
Osumo is situated in various locations across Cape Town
The food at Gusto Cafeteria is served buffet-style and is made fresh every day from seasonal produce. Some of the options available on the menu include salads, sandwiches and freshly squeezed juices. The chef and staff are all well aware of the nutritious elements of all their dishes, and patrons can ask for dishes to be adjusted to cater for any food intolerances.
Gusto Cafeteria is situated on 117 Hatfield Street | Cape Town | + 27 (0) 21 461 7868
Delegates from around the globe, including more than 20 African countries, attended the Africa Travel Association’s sixth annual U.S. Africa Tourism Seminar (USATS), which was one of the most successful ATA industry events staged in the U.S. to date.
Don’t bag it – When travelling you want memories of your holiday to last for years but not 500 years!Plastic bags can take up to 500 years to degrade so rather take your own re – usable shopping bags with you when you go to local markets.